Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Long Way Home, Part 1 (season premiere)

(S08I01) Fans of Buffy have waited a long time for something like this. It's not a new television season and it's not a movie, but when you think about it this could be the best way for it to return. You don't have ugly casting problems and the special effects budget isn't a concern at all. In fact, you can just kill off a major character in spectacular fashion and not worry that you just ruined an actor's livelihood.

If you haven't gone out and picked up this first issue of what's been blessed bu Joss Whedon as Buffy the Vampire Slayer season eight, you might not want to read on, as there will be spoilers. Or if you're just cheap or too lazy to pick it up, you can come too.

I'll try not to repeat too much of what I already went into in my early look post. Diving into this book was quite a different experience than watching a season premiere on television. Who are these new people? Where's Willow? Giles? And oh yeah, Xander's missing an eye! What I said about the special effects having no limit? You get that right off the bat, and it just continues throughout.

The pace of a small comic book is certainly going to be very different than a TV episode. In fact, from cover to cover, this issue's pace to me felt very much like the cold open of a TV episode; I could almost hear the familiar wolf howl after the last page.

Random thought: Did anyone else think those demons Buffy battles in the start resembled the watcher in the Fray series of comics? (Fray is supposed to be sort-of a continuation/sequel to the Buffy series)

I'm not sure what to think of the high-techiness of Buffy's entourage; the laser guns, the Xander-led HW. You know in a big way that the Buffyverse as we knew it from season seven has vastly changed.

And speaking of those changes, we have giant Dawn! One of the best parts of this so far is how the writers are aware of Dawn's whininess and play into that right away. I'd love to know why the slayers don't find a giant her size more of an asset in their fight, but there's time for all of that. Definitely a great way to explain her "big" problem, too. Has anyone heard of a thricewise before?

Something I found odd was in the flyover of the crater that was once Sunnydale, it's as though the town sat alone in a desert. Where are the other towns?

It looks like once again the government is playing into being the "big bad", at least partly. Do these military guys really know that Amy was once a rat, or was that mention of it being obvious she'd want cheese just an oversight? And are there any guesses to who or what her boyfriend is?

I'm enjoying seeing the gang again (or at least part of it), and the artwork is certainly well done in parts. The dialog could be better, though -- the funny was sadly lacking. In fact, the only good set of lines I'll show you below. Still, we'll give it time.

Quote of the issue:

Xander: I think it's a frown turned upside down. And then turned upside down again.Buffy: So you think it's a frown.Xander: Guy with a monocle frowning.Buffy: You're a terrible watcher.Xander: I'm not a watcher.Buffy: Well clearly.

and before you start flaming me for downloading something that costs only a few dollars, i live overseas in the boondocks and have absolutely no access to this stuff, even amazon wont accept any credit cards issued from this country due to frequent fraudulent use, let alone paypal etc..

And even if they did, the local censors would have infiltrated the said comic and i'd have to pay a ridiculous sum to get it smuggled out, its just not worth it, gimme the torrent!!

I guess she'd be pissed.(and in case you didn't get it, I was referring to the TV show in my comment).

Additionally, the information on the net about the 8th Season comics refers to Whedon as the author of "the first story arc".

@Keith: ok ok I'll already ordered it, it will take some time to get here :-)

Additonally I was about to sell my DVD-sets of Buffy and just keep the *cough* "other" versions I had of them but the commentaries still kick ass and I'll keep the series. I'll definately watch this stuff again sometime in the future, I still love the whole Willow/Xander story so much and when Cordelia found out. Ah good times :-)

Judging from the picture you posted I would not want to get this. This girl doesn't look like Sarah Michelle Gellar. Totally skinny, thin arms. Ok I get it - Catwalk-Buffy. Yeah Right. Great. Anorexic Buffy. Superb. Totally unnatural and that's what 99% of Buffy was for me - a down to earth girl with her down to earth friends doing things totally out of this world on a daily basis without being able to tell anyone about it.

The later seasons got more and more rid of it, trying to have the characters "grow up" - but the authors failed to tell that story. All the Sex Buffy had with Spike, the death of Tara, Xander losing his eye, his breakup with Anya - all that was cruel and stuff that _makes_ you grow up you would think, butin the end none of them acutally grew up - they evaded facing consequences and stumbled into the situations like they always did, but in the end not leaving the scene with a smile, because of the severeness of it all - and the dozens and later hundreds of slayers as well as Dawn with her youth (although not actually being young) played into that.

So what I am really interested in is - is that thin Buffy that grown up woman now? Because for her looking so thin she would need to grow at least a foot while being over twenty years old. Would love to know how you'd lengthen Sarah Michelle Gellar's abdomen. Anyway - look's artificial to me. I hope Xander's look doesn't suck and because I really love Alyson Hannigan I really really hope she looks as good drawn as she looks in real life.

So more info on that please. This article still reads like a first look. Feel free to get into it a little bit more, I won't bicker about this not beeing anything on TV and you can just ignore anybody complaining :-)